28. Aster
Chapter 28
Aster
I wake to the sound of crashing glass and launch myself out of bed, running to the hallway bare-ass naked. There’s nothing there, so I hurry back to the bedroom to grab my jeans and shimmy into them.
“What’s going on?” Hudson asks sleepily, making no attempt to move.
The house creaks and whines like a strong wind is blowing through it. “You don’t hear that?”
Hudson peels his eyes open. “Hear what?”
“Well, shit.”
Why can I hear all of this but Hudson can’t?
“Stay put, huh? I’m gonna check on some things.”
“Okay.”
I manage to get my boots on and find my shirt on the floor, yanking it on as I hurry back to the hallway and climb the stairs to the attic. Inside it’s silent, with no hint of the house spirits.
“Hello? Crash? What the fuck is going on?”
I scan the darkness looking for traces of the Horror but it’s gone too.
“Fuck. Crash?”
Nothing.
I scratch my head before turning and running down the stairs. Maybe it’s in the kitchen. I hurry down the hall, visually scanning each room as I pass until I find myself back where it all started. It’s eerily silent. Where did everyone go?
The hair on the back of my neck rises as foreboding spreads through me. Something is wrong. Very fucking wrong. I glance at the clock on the wall. Three a.m. I don’t know why but for some reason that time sticks in my head.
Out of options, I do the only thing that makes sense. “Request to speak to Farnsworth.”
I close my eyes, bracing for the impact, and this time when I land on the floor in the underworld, it’s far less jarring.
Farnsworth is hovering right in front of me, his brow creased. Abigail stands beside him.
“The target is in trouble,” Farnsworth says.
“I know that. Where did the Horror go? And the house spirits? And Crash?”
Farnsworth offers his hand to help me up. “You can’t find the Horror?”
“No. It was trapped in the attic and now it’s nowhere and neither are the spirits that were guarding it. Can you lose a Horror?”
Farnsworth frowns, closing his eyes and vibrating. His body flickers with orange, red, and a deep blue light that seems to come from inside. He snaps his eyes open, and they are completely white.
He reaches out and grips my wrist with unexpected strength, but before I can react, a vision slams into me of Hudson suspended in midair, spinning and screaming my name. Instead of the Horror, a spirit dressed in what looks like a 1940s era tweed suit stands before him, laughing maniacally. The other house spirits lie scattered across the floor like victims of a massacre.
“Is this happening right now?”
Farnsworth doesn’t speak, but with his other hand, he shoves my chest, and I fly through the air, landing with a thud in Hudson’s bedroom to find the exact scene I just saw in the vision.
“Shit.” I scramble to my feet, launching myself at the spirit holding Hudson in the air, but I end up grabbing nothing but air and fall to the floor again.
It appears across the room, glaring at me with glowing red eyes, and I notice as its attention shifts to me, Hudson’s body dips a bit. Okay. It can’t do both. What I need to know is what’s wrong with this house spirit and where the fuck are the Horror and Crash?
Realizing that physically attacking it won’t help, I sit on the floor for a second to get my bearings. Is this a situation where I should go to the astral plane? That seems extreme. Closing my eyes, I blow out a breath to calm myself so I can think rationally. Hudson’s screaming rattles my spine, but in order to help him, I have to focus.
“Handbook.”
The book appears in my mind, pages flipping past too quickly to read but stopping on a page titled Possession.
Seriously?
Wise Horrors will find another portal to enter if their own is under attack.
The portal can be anything it can manipulate—animals, the living, and in some cases, another spirit entity if available.
The Horror possessed one of the house spirits? Well, fuck me. I continue reading.
Tips: Distract the possessed. Do not, under any circumstance, offer yourself as a replacement.
Repeat the following: Malum hic vivere non potest. Animam innocentem dimitte. Malum abiit. Abiit. Abiit.
Latin is the chosen language of the underworld given its widespread understanding. Repeat with strong intention until the Horror is weakened and retreats. The incantation will temporarily banish the Horror.
Somehow my brain, which has never studied Latin, fully understands the words I must now speak.
Evil cannot live here. Release the innocent soul.
Evil be gone. Be gone. Be gone.
Getting to my feet, I face what I now understand is the Horror in disguise.
“Hey, asshole.”
The spirit turns toward me, its face flickering between the original house spirit’s and Chester’s former face. It scowls and hisses at me, but keeps one hand raised in Hudson’s direction, slamming him against the ceiling. Hudson howls and it pains me, but I know I have to do this in order to make it stop.
“Yeah, you, fuckface. You think you can just come in here and harm my friends?”
The Horror tilts its head at me, its eyes an eerie red as it bares animal-like teeth at me.
“Not on my watch, Horror. Malum hic vivere non potest.”
The Horror immediately reacts to my words, visibly trembling.
“Animam innocentem dimitte.”
It shrieks, hissing and clearly losing its grip on both the spirit it possessed and Hudson.
“Malum abiit.”
Chester’s face appears clearly, a mixture of shock and anger all over the features.
“That’s right, fucker. I’ve got the tools I need to get rid of you once and for all.” An idea pops into my head. Maybe because it’s weakening, I can find out its name.
Focus, Aster. Focus on the Horror’s thoughts.
Farnsworth. I nod, setting my shoulders and staring directly at the Horror’s eyes.
“We should get to know each other, Horror. What’s your name? It used to be Chester. Chester Dillon, right?”
The Horror shrinks back like I hit it with something hard. It’s working.
“But you’re not Chester anymore. Chester is dead. You’re just a piece of shit. A leftover, powerless pile of fucked up energy.”
The Horror hisses, and I glance briefly at Hudson, who’s hovering in the air but watching the interaction intently.
“So who are you, Horror?” I continue. “You’ll never have Hudson. He’s with me now. A living, breathing man.”
It lets out a shrieking noise, but it’s weaker, and I can already tell it’s losing power.
“I bet you’re mad that you fucked up,” I taunt. “You killed yourself thinking you’d find Hudson on the other side, but he’s so much stronger than you gave him credit for.”
I start to see more of the house spirit’s features as the Horror’s begin to fade. I focus again, searching the space between us for his thoughts.
“What’s your name, Horror?”
I close my eyes, repeating your name in my thoughts. Suddenly, I’m hit with a hazy vision of letters and numbers. CDA4963.
The Horror loses it, flailing wildly in a haze of smoky red-and-black fog. I did it. I got its name.
“Malum abiit,” I say, putting my full intention behind it.
The Horror shrieks, releasing the house spirit.
“Abiit.”
It vibrates, shrieking as it loses all its facial features.
“Abiit!”
With a bright flash of light, the Horror shrinks to nothing but a pulsating blob, disappearing into the walls. Hudson falls softly onto the bed, and I rush over to hold him.
“Are you hurt?” I brush his hair from his face as he claws my shoulders. “Talk to me, Hudson.”
Burying his face in my neck, he holds on to me. “Not hurt,” he manages.
Rubbing his back, I kiss the side of his head. “Fuck.”
Hudson pulls back to meet my gaze. “Are you hurt?”
“No.” Cupping his face, I search his eyes. “You’re sure it didn’t hurt you?”
“I’m sure.” He nods even as his voice shakes. “But I’m fucking pissed. I can’t do this anymore, Aster. I can’t live like this.”
“I know. I’m doing everything I can.”
“I know you are.” He touches my cheek. “What you did just now was incredible. Did you get its name?”
“Yeah.” I blow out a breath as the reality sinks in. “Holy shit. I got its name. I didn’t have to strangle it or astral project.”
“Incredible. What now?”
“I’m… I’m not sure. That’s all I needed to finish this. I want to find the other house spirits and Crash. Then I’ll consult my resources so I know what to do.”
Hudson squeezes my hand. “I want to kill it. Can I kill it?”
I shake my head. “It’s already dead. This banishment is temporary, and I have a feeling the Horror did something to the spirits to get away. I just don’t know what or how. I saw them here, but they’re gone now.”
A thud in the hallway catches our attention, and we climb out of bed, rushing to see what it is. Before us, spirits lie in the hallway, broken wood and drywall scattered around them.
“What happened?” I ask. “Where’s Crash?”
“Here,” he says, crawling out from under a slab of drywall. “That was gnarly.”
“What happened?”
The house spirits rise slowly from the rubble, and the one the Horror possessed joins them. I can see them all more clearly than I ever have, and when Hudson gasps and wraps his hands around my arm, I realize he can too.
“I can see them,” he whispers. “Wow.”
“Is everyone okay?” I ask, realizing that’s a ridiculous question. They’re dead.
“We’re okay,” Crash says, turning to smile at the spirits. “The force of the Horror losing its hold on us sent us flying, releasing enough energy to smash us into the wall.”
“How did it get to you guys?”
“What we think happened is that your visit to the astral plane inadvertently gave the Horror the idea of possessing one of the house spirits. It may have accessed Wilder’s thoughts. It happens sometimes.”
“Great.”
“Yeah. More bad news. Because of all that, the Horror is now fully aware of your connection to its target. Clearly, it’s less than pleased about it. Its intent now is to destroy you first, then Hudson.”
“Super. I looked everywhere. Where were you guys?”
“The Horror sucked all of our energy away temporarily and used it to distract you and get to Hudson. It’s smart. Wicked smart.”
I rub my forehead. “Okay, well I’ve got its name now, so game on.”
Crash’s eyes widen as a smile spreads across his face. “Seriously? Oh, this is good. You’re so close.”
I nod. “I need the house spirits to retreat and let the Horror regain strength so I can do what I have to do.”
“No,” Crash says. “You already have its name. You should start getting your banishing circle ready.”
“Oh.” I rub my forehead. “Right. Okay. I’ll consult the handbook.”
“You can’t drag it back in its current state, but you don’t have to let it fully manifest. You don’t want that.” Crash glances at Hudson then back at me. “This is the worst part, you know. A threatened Horror is a nightmare, and the mortal is in real danger. If the Horror can drag him down to the Below before you banish it, Hudson dies.”
Hudson’s breath catches and I wrap my arm around his waist. “I won’t let that happen.”
The house spirits crowd around us, pulsing with palpable energy. A woman, the one who often initiates communication with me, opens her mouth and as loud and clear as the sun is bright says, “We will help protect the mortal.”
My jaw drops and Hudson gasps softly.
“Did you hear that?” I ask.
“Yes,” Hudson says. “You did too?”
“Yep.”
“Oh good,” Crash says, bouncing on his toes. “That means the connection is strong. They’ve fully accepted you as a friend. Both of you.”
That knowledge warms my core. “Thank you. All of you.”
A shy-looking man steps forward, dressed in clothes I would describe as colonial, with a puffy, loose fitting white shirt, thick brown trousers, and white stockinged feet. His brown hair hangs in his face slightly.
“Is it not against the law to love a man?”
“Samuel,” another spirit chides. “That is a private matter.”
“It’s okay,” Hudson says. “It’s not against the law anymore.”
“You can… love openly?”
Hudson nods, wrapping his hand around mine. “Yes. Not everyone in society accepts it. We still have some challenges, but where we live, it’s accepted.”
“Can you marry?” another male spirit asks.
“We can,” Hudson says. “We can have a home together, raise a family if we want to.”
“Children?” a young woman gasps. “How do two men have a baby? Has the world changed that much?”
“Uh, sometimes. It’s… complicated. Some men can have babies, but there are other ways for those who can’t. Like adopting a baby.”
“Adopting?” she asks.
“Caring for a baby when the others can’t. Sometimes, it’s an agreement between a woman and two men to have a baby for them. There are ways.”
“Will there be children here?” an older woman asks, clearly not excited by the prospect given her tight lips and disdainful tone.
“No,” Hudson says. “Maybe some pets, but no human children.”
“Good. They’re destructive little beings. Noisy too.”
I chuckle as Hudson looks at me with a warm smile on his face.
Crash nudges my arm. “Uh, I can feel it intensifying.”
“Me too.” I shift my gaze to the ceiling. “It’s still in the attic.”
“It’s not returning to the kitchen,” Crash says. “Whatever Wilder did removed the attachment.”
I blow out a breath. “I have to prepare for what’s going to happen next. As it gets stronger, shit’s gonna get crazy.”
“We’ll be here to help,” Crash says, gesturing to the house spirits who nod in agreement.
“Just keep Hudson safe when I’m not here.” I turn to face him. “He’s precious to me.”
Hudson’s gaze softens before he steps forward and presses a kiss to my lips. “You can do this. I’ve seen how amazing you are, and I’m not scared anymore.”
“Cute,” Crash says. “But you should be. You haven’t seen anything yet.”
Hudson’s expression hardens. “Yeah, well, I’m done being afraid of him. It. Whatever. If I could bring him back to life just to kill him I would.”
I brush my fingers across his cheek. “I’ll get rid of him. I promise.”
“I know you will. I’ve never believed in anything more than I believe in you.”
“No pressure, am I right?” Crash chuckles.
I shoot a glare at him and he coughs before disappearing. The house spirits dissipate too, leaving Hudson and me alone in the hallway.
As I gaze into Hudson’s pretty eyes, I see a future I never envisioned reflected back.
Laughter.
Warmth.
Love.
My breath catches in my throat.
Love.
Hudson smiles softly as if he can hear my thoughts. Do I love him? Could he love me back?
“Come on,” he says. “Let’s get some coffee. I have a feeling we’re gonna need it.”